Abmobed vehicle



A. J. JEHLIK:

ARMORED VEHICLE.

APPLICATiON FILED JAN-10,1916.

1,1 95,630. Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

ameases: JcffzZi/z.

A. J. JEHUK.

ARMOR'ED VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN; 10 1916- I l ,1 95., 6 Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- ANTON J. JEI-ILIK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ABMORED VEHICLE.

menace.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

Application filed January 10, 1916. Serial No. 71,151.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ANTON J. Jin-ILIK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Armored Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in self propelled armored vehicles for war puroses.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a self propelled armored vehicle, comprising, a large, heavy, driven, rotatable, crushing cylinder and a trailing armored compartment containing the driving engines, ammunition, guns, equipment and men to operate the artillery, guns, etc, and a second, look-out compartment, mounted above the cylinder. I

A more specific object of my invention is to provide an armored vehicle capable of being driven over the ground at very high rate of speed, in which the rotatable, driven cylinder is sufficiently large, strong and heavy to crush or destroy ordinary impedimerits in its path, such as barbed wire entanglements, and the like, and sufficiently long to bridge an ordinary trench, being so heavily armored as to be substantlally immune from danger arlsmg from the use of ordinary artillery, rapid fire guns or rifle fire of the enemy.

Another, and still more specific, object of my invention is to provide a. series of semi-circular sponsons in the armored wall of the larger or lower compartment of the vehicle and to mount guns, capable of swiveling movement, and adapted to be slightly elevated and depressed, therein, and furthermore to place above the rotatable cylinder another, but smaller lookout compartmerit, having port holes on either side for use fore and aft with rapid-fire guns and in which the driver of the vehicle is sta tioned. The two manpartmcnts are inter connected so that persons may pass from one compartment to the other within the protection of the armor.

Other, further and more specific objects my invention will become readily apparn "-"')I skilled in the art, from a con following description when in conjunction with the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view, showing parts in section. Fig. is asection taken on line In the illustrative embodiment of my invention 5 is a cylinder which may be of arrnor steel, preferably of the character of which armor plate for battleships is made, or something of a similar nature, which is substantially impervious to the impact effect of ordinary projectiles. This cylinder may, be from 50 to 100 feet long and from 20 to 30 feet in diameter having walls 6, from eight to ten inches thick or more and provided with a spider 7 fixed in each end, within which to secure a central, axially eX- tending shaft 8, upon which the cylinder is journaled. The ends of the shaft project beyond the limits of the spider 7, as at 8' to provide trunnions having bearings in the extended side walls 9-9 ofthe main armored compartment. The walls 9, of thefort structure, extend over the ends of the cylinder, as at 10-10, to closeand protect the ends of the cylinder. The side walls 10 are tied together, as by a bridge portion 11, which bridge portion carries a relatively small look-out compartment 12 located immediately above the cylinder. The compartment 1? is provided with port holes 13-13, of which there may be any desired number, and through which guns are to be inserted for firing upon the enemy, and through which the driver ll of the machine may see the roadway over which he is driving. The walls of the compartment are angularly disposed and are pro aided, just below the ports 13-13 with brackets 15 which extend across the entire front of the machine. These brackets prevent the enemy below from firing into the port holes 1313.

The wall extends rearwardly to provide a larger compartment 16, within which are located a. series of gas engines 17, 17 and 13. These engines are connected through a common shaft 19 by a train of gearing 19, 19 and 19 and each end of the shaft 18 is provided with a beveled gear wheel 20 that meshes into a similar beveled pinion 21 secured on the shaft 22. The shaft 22 has bearings that are supported on the walls 9 and other beariugs 2i and and carries on its other end another beveled gear 26 which meshes into a large beveled gear wheel 27 carried on the shaft 8 of th' cylinder. By this means the cylinder 5 is driven.

While I have shown in the drawings three. four cylinder engines, of the internal combustion type, it is evident that any number of engines, other than those shown, may be of the compartment 16 and is provided with an opening 33 closable by a door. 34. This opening communicates with an opening 35 in the wall 9 which permits entrance into the compartment 12-above the cylinder 5. 'A

ladder. 36 permits easy access from one compartment to the other. .A door 37 is made in the floor-Wall 9' and it is through this door that the operators, of both of the compartments, are admitted. After they have entered through this door, it is closed tightly so as to prevent entrance ofthe enemy. It is the only opening for admission of persons that communicates with the outside.

The Wall 9, of the compartment '16, is

formed at suitable intervals into semi-cirf cular shape to provide sponsons30, 30",- 30 and 30. I have shown five sponsons, located in the rear portion of the compartment 16, but any greater or less number may be employed, as desired.v Each of these sponsons is provided with an elongated slot 31 through which a gun 32 projects. The gun is mounted in the radial center of the sponson upon a pedestal 33, upon which it is swiveled, and each gun is provided. with a mechanism 34 by means of which it may be slightly raised or depressed forthe purpose of securing proper range. Each of the port holes is covered with asemi-circular bridge-piece or slide 35 which is slidably supported in'front of the port, hole by means of guides 36 on opposite. edges of the bridge-piece. The bridge-pieces serve to close the port holes 31 as the gun is swiveled therein.

A dynamo electric machine 40 is connected to the shaft 18 by means of a belt-41'. It is the source of the electric current that becomes necessary to be used within the fort.

The rear end of the compartment 16 is supported upon two ovate rollers 42, axially perforated for a shaft 43 affording bearing for a yoke 44. Centrally of the yoke 44 is mounted a .vertically extending shaft 45 bearing upon its upper end a beveled gear wheel 46 and supportedqin the bracket 4.7. These rollers are made in oval form so that they may readily be rotated upon the shaft transmits power to the vertical shafts 45 for the purpose of swiveling or turning the rollers 42 upon the bearing afforded by said vertical shaft. A worm wheel 50 is fixed to the shaft 47 and is rotatedby a worm 51 secured to a shaft 52 upon an electric motor 53. .When the armature 54, of the motor 53, is rotated inone direction the vertical shafts 45. of the rollers '42 will be rotated in a given direction and the vehicle will change its course accordingly. Now if it is desired that the vehicle shall be directed in an opposite direction the direction of rota tion ofthe armature 54is changed,and the shaft 45 will be rotated in a corresponding direction, to change the direction of movement of the vehicle. The man 14 located in the compartment 12 operates a controller 55 which is properly connected to the motor 53' i in any well known and understood manner for the purpose of varying the speed of the I armature 54 ofthe motor and'for the purpose of changing the direction of its rotation. The specific 'means' of accomplishing this result is not any part of my invention and, therefore, is not more specifically disclosed.

On account of the large bearing surface afforded by the roller 5 of my armored vehi cle, it is capable of moving over relatively soft ground at a high .rate of speed and the rollers 42 following over the impacted ground will not sink into the surface to-any objectionable extent.

The vehicle is so constructed that the op.-

posing enemy cannot gain ingress into either of the compartments 12 or 16 with- ,out passing through the door 37 in the-floor of the compartment 16 and this door i s made of such size that only one man at a time can pass thereinand persons in the cor'nparti ment can protect themselves against admishicle, trying to gain admittance, the operator can reverse the direction of the rotatable cylinder and crush or destroy the men beforethey could accomplish their object.

The compartment 16 is sufficiently large to carry all of the necessary ammunition and provisions. The engines should be of such I power as to propel the vehicle at the high rate of speed so as to overwhelm the enemy claim is:

1. An armored vehicle comprising an armored wall inclosing a compartment; 9.

sion of one person at atime, through the opening. When persons are under the ve- 1,195,eeo

driven ground engaging cylinder extending entirely across the compartment and journaled in the projecting walls thereof; an engine Within the compartment to drive the cylinder; connecting driving mechanism within said protecting Walls and means for changing direction of progress of said vehicle.

2. An armored vehicle comprising an armored wallinclosing arear compartment and a. look-outcompartment; a driven cylinder below the look-out compartment and extending across the rear compartment'andjournaled in the projecting side walls thereof; an engine, within the .latter' compartment, to drive the cylinder; connecting driving mechanism within said protecting walls; guidin' rollers under said rear comthe front of said compartment, within the end walls thereof; an engine within said compartment to drive the vehicle; steering rollers under said vehicle; a dynamo-electric machine driven by said engine and an .1

electric motor for controlling said steering rollers.

4. An armored vehicle comprising an, ar moi-ed wall, deflected at intervals to provide a series of sponsons inclosing a compartment; a driven cylinder extending across the front of said compartment, Within the end Walls thereof, a ported compartment extending parallel with and above said cylin-' der and means of communication between I said compartments within said protecting Walls.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my handin the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ANTON. 'J. JEHLIK.

In the presence of FORE]: BAIN, MARY F. ALLEN. 

